Amayrani (Mayra) Itzel Hernandez-Tellez

Amayrani I. Hernandez-Tellez (Mayra) A.K.A Nani/Vieja was the first blessing to Lorena Tellez. Her mother gave birth to her on February 24, 1991 in Mexico City. Mayra then became an older sister to Jose Bautista and to Diana Mañon.

Mayra went through so much it was no wonder that she was such a strong courageous woman. She lived a beautiful but short life. As a young girl, life was tough for Mayra, she got to see how hard her mother would work in the fields and in the warehouse to be able to support Mayra and her siblings. There were even times where Mayra had to live with other relatives.

As a teenager, she spent her time going to school, taking care of her younger cousins, and helping around the house. Moving around so much exposed Mayra to different family dynamics. She observed other people’s relationships and as she grew older she thought about her own relationships with guys. “All the other guys I been with didn’t really care about me,” she would say. Then one night at the end of her Junior year, she went to a party at a friend’s house and met Ricardo Lamas Castañeda. “He is way different from any other guy I’ve ever met,” she said. “He cares about me and he has a job.” They texted back and forth for a while until he asked her to the movies one day and they went to go see Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was summer. Their relationship grew. They started living together first with her aunt, then at his parent’s house. They talked about one day starting a family together about how many children they should have and how soon. “If it happens, it happens,” Mayra would say, and it happened.

From the moment Mayra knew she was pregnant, everything seemed to come together. She went to visit her mother. Their relationship had been strained until that point. “It’s a miracle you came,” her mom said to her, “I haven’t seen you in a while.” Mayra told her mother she was going to be a grandmother. After the initial surprise, her mother stood by her side and became her friend and supporter.

Her focus at school sharpened, she would spend extra hours after school for extra credit. Ricardo, meanwhile, took a class to get his GED as he was still working as a full-time painter.

They moved into their own place in January 2009, a small rental near downtown Yakima and for the first time in her life, Mayra could run the household as she pleased. While her classmates prepared for prom and graduation, Mayra scrambled to finish as much schoolwork as possible before the baby arrived.

On May 1, 2009, after 30 hours of labor, she gave birth to a bright-eyed boy with black curls at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital. They called him Aiden Dominic Lamas. Sometimes a person can find stability in the most of unexpected of places. Mayra found hers in a 6 pound, 9 ounce bundle. She was able to graduate with the help of her mother as she would help watch over Aiden in the afternoon after work while Mayra would study. Soon Mayra & Ricardo were blessed with their second bundle of joy, they called him Amaury Joseph Lamas (AJ) born on December 10, 2011.

Mayra’s favorite thing to do was spend time with her boys and with her sister Diana who was her best friend and her partner in crime, “eran uña y mugre” how they would say in Spanish. Mayra also loved spending time with her cousins, and she had so much love for all her nieces and nephews. Mayra loved to dance, she liked a wide variety of music from Cumbia to R&B and hip hop, she was also a great dancer, and she would sing to her boys and keep them entertained by dancing with them.

Mayra might have been a small gal but she was one of the bravest strongest and a spectacular mom and wife with a very big heart for those who deserved her love of course.

As life went on Mayra & Ricardo’s relationship and family grew stronger and stronger. The years passed by then Ricardo finally asked her to marry him; they were married by Mayra’s uncle Gabriel Muños on June 27, 2018.

After everything, Mayra had been through as a child and as a young adult, her life came together in a beautiful way. She had a home and she had a family of her own. Ready to take on life, Mayra and Ricardo had big plans for their future ahead. However, those plans were put on hold when Mayra got sick during the winter of 2019. Mayra had not been feeling well for a while, and although Mayra was a fighter, she wasn’t getting better and ended up going to go see a doctor. After trips to the clinic and to the ER. Mayra was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. Everyone was devastated with the news, no one really knew how to react or what this even meant. Cancer is always a scary word especially when it is spoken about someone you love, let alone about yourself.

After her recent diagnosis Mayra and her family knew there was a tough road ahead of them, however, no one is ever ready for what was going to happen. In the process of multiple appointments to figure out a good treatment plan, her condition got worse. The weekend of February 21st Mayra and her family were away from home and in Seattle to attend multiple appointments and on February 24, 2020 (Mayra's 29th birthday) Mayra was rushed to the emergency room. Mayra couldn't breathe and she wasn't getting enough oxygen, this lead to her getting intubated at that very moment. The doctors tried countless medications, ran multiple studies, tests, scans, and procedures to try to help Mayra. Ricardo and family spent many days and sleepless nights in the hospital waiting.....and with every day that passed, her family was holding on to every bit of hope for Mayra to get better. It felt like a roller coaster with every update. There were good days but then came the bad days. Mayra seemed to be making little improvements over the weekend of February 28th, she was wiggling her toes, making faces at Ricardo when he would say he was stinky and needed a shower and even opening her eyes..... the whole family was hopeful! <3

After Mayra being in the ICU for a little over a week, on Tuesday March 3rd, 2020 the family got the news that no one ever wants to hear. Ricardo was pulled aside into a care conference and was told that Mayra's condition got worse and that not even the medications or machines were working for her, that the time had come where Mayra could no longer keep up and that she needed to rest.

On Wednesday, March 4th, 2020 Ricardo and his two boys lost a part of their hearts that can never be replaced. Mayra Hernandez, a loving mother, wife, sister, daughter, cousin, aunt, niece, granddaughter, and friend was taken from them after her battle with lung cancer. It all happened too quick and Mayra was taken from us too soon. She may be gone but the love, care, and kindness that she shared with everyone around her will live on forever.

There will be a visitation on Thursday, March 12, 2020 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. with a vigil at 6:30 p.m. at Keith & Keith Funeral Home, 902 W. Yakima Avenue.